Maps of Music

Sour (2021)

Where the lyrics of Sour take you, and where it was really made.

Sour was the first debut album in history to put two of its songs at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Key places

Recording at Amusement, Los Angeles (2021)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — Amusement in Los Angeles is linked to recording of Sour. The point uses city-center coordinates, so the exact building is not specified. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording at Heavy Duty, Burbank (2021)

Recording site The Enterprise (Burbank) — Heavy Duty in Burbank is linked to recording of Sour. The point uses city-center coordinates, so the exact building is not specified. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording at Funk, Salt Lake City (2021)

Recording site LA East — Funk in Salt Lake City is linked to recording of Sour. The point uses city-center coordinates, so the exact building is not specified. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Sour: debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo
• Released May 21, 2021 by Geffen Records
• Written by Rodrigo and producer Dan Nigro
• Originally planned as an EP, expanded to a full-length album after the viral success of debut single 'Drivers License'
• Primarily melodramatic alternative pop, bedroom pop, pop rock, and teen pop
• Themes: adolescence, failed romance, heartache
• Title refers to 'sour' emotions such as anger, jealousy, and unhappiness

Background

• Rodrigo signed to Geffen Records in 2020, intending to release a debut EP the following year
• Dan Nigro reached out after hearing her songs on the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series soundtrack
• The pair first met shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic affected the United States
• Rodrigo chose a full-length album over an EP, saying only a full-length would be truly reflective of what she can do
• Influences named by Rodrigo include Alanis Morissette, Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, No Doubt, and the White Stripes

Recording

• Recording took place throughout 2020 and into early 2021
• Nigro said the pandemic gave them unusually large amounts of time to make music
• Recording locations listed: Amusement (Los Angeles), Heavy Duty (Burbank), Funk (Salt Lake City)

Cover

• Photographed by Grant Spanier
• Rodrigo stands against a purple backdrop with a pale pink tank top and colorful stickers on her face
• Stickers on her tongue spell the album title

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born February 20, 2003 in Murrieta, California; raised in neighboring Temecula.
• Half-Filipina, identifies as Filipino American; mother has German and Irish ancestry.
• Began vocal lessons at age five, piano at nine, and was playing guitar by age 12.
• First appeared onscreen in an Old Navy commercial in May 2010 at age seven.

Career

• Acting debut in 2015 in the direct-to-video film An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success.
• Starred in Disney Channel's Bizaardvark (2016–2019) and the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019–2022).
• Signed with Geffen Records in 2020 and negotiated ownership of her masters.
• Debut album Sour (2021) topped the US Billboard 200; lead single "Drivers License" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Second album Guts (2023) and third album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love (2026) each debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
• Lead singles from her first three albums all debuted atop the Hot 100, a first for any artist.
• Won three Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards and seven Billboard Music Awards.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Sour was praised by music critics, who regarded it as a strong debut album, underscoring Rodrigo's realistic lyrics and appeal to Gen Z listeners.
• Robin Murray of Clash hailed Sour as a bravura pop statement marked by excellence from front to back.
• Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph said Sour excels in modern production, striking an acoustic-electronic balance.
• Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times dubbed the album 'flawless Gen Z pop' and 'the most self-aware pop record in recent memory'.
• Olivia Horn of Pitchfork called it a nimble and lightly chaotic collection of breakup tunes, while noting Rodrigo is more invested in content than in craft at moments.
• Metacritic assigned a weighted mean score of 83 based on 20 reviews.

Reappraisal

• Various publications listed Sour among the best albums of 2021, including Billboard and Rolling Stone.
• Rolling Stone ranked Sour 358th on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2023.

Records

• Debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 295,000 album-equivalent units.
• Spent a total of five weeks at number one on the Billboard 200.
• Debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with 51,000 units.
• Topped the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, with four consecutive weeks at number one.
• Sour and Drivers License won Best Pop Vocal Album and Pop Solo Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Originally planned as an EP, the album was expanded after the viral success of 'Drivers License'.
• Rodrigo wrote a song called 'Sour' for a long time without success, and the title became a broader idea for the album.
• 'Good 4 U' interpolates 'Misery Business'; Paramore's writers were credited only after widespread online comparisons.
• 'Brutal' was the last song written for the album, two weeks before Rodrigo had to turn in the record.
• PopSugar noted that the cover ring is identical to one Taylor Swift had gifted Rodrigo earlier.
• The album's first track 'Brutal' debuted atop the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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